Virat Kohli’s Struggles Against Spin Continue in Champions Trophy 2025

If you thought Virat Kohli struggling against fast bowlers in Tests was a big issue, think again. The cricket legend has an even bigger challenge in ODIs, despite still being one of the best in the world. His incredible record of 13,963 runs in 297 ODIs at an average of 57.93 doesn’t quite match up with how often he is getting out to leg-spinners in the 50-over format.

In the first match of the Champions Trophy 2025 against Bangladesh on Thursday, Virat Kohli was dismissed for just 22 runs, once again falling to leg spinner—Rishad Hossain. The ball was pitched outside off, and Kohli attempted a forceful cut shot. But he did not time it well, lifting the ball in the air, where Soumya Sarkar caught it comfortably at point.

His latest dismissal underscores an uncomfortable trend for Kohli, as he's been bowled by leg-spinners in five of his last six innings. With his superb ODI record, his ongoing issues against the leg-spin are a legitimate concern, especially with big-pressure tournaments such as the Champions Trophy looming large.

It all started in the India-Sri Lanka one-day matches. In those matches, he was dismissed by Wanindu Hasaranga, Jeffrey Vandersay, and even twice by Adil Rashid while playing against England. The manner in which he was dismissed made it obvious that he is actually struggling with wrist spinners.

Since 2024, Virat Kohli has not performed against spin bowlers in ODIs. In five innings, he could manage a mere 31 runs off 51 balls and got out all five times. His average read a mere 6.20, and the strike rate stood at 60.78. And to worsen the case, his current performance last year and this year has not met his high expectations.

In 2024, over three matches, he scored only 58 runs with an average of 19.33. This year, in three matches, he has scored 79 runs at an average of 26.33, including a score of 52 against England. Even so, Virat is close to becoming only the third player to reach 14,000 runs in ODIs after Sachin Tendulkar and Kumar Sangakkara and he would be the fastest to do so.

Virat Kohli's ODI Performance vs Recent Struggles Against Leg-Spinners

Overall ODI Career Statistics:

Recent Performance Against Leg-Spin Bowlers (Since 2024):

Recent ODI Performances:

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